Happy Memorial Day!

memorial-day

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was initiated to honor the soldiers for the Union and Confederate armies who died during the American Civil War.

Celebrations honoring Civil War heroes started the year after the war ended. The establishment of a public holiday was meant to unify the celebration as a national day of remembrance instead of a holiday celebrated separately by the Union and Confederate states. By the late 19th century, the holiday became known as Memorial Day and was expanded to include the deceased veterans of all the wars fought by American forces. In 1971, Memorial Day became a federal holiday.

The original national celebration of Decoration Day took place on 30 May 1868. When Memorial Day became a federal holiday, it was given the floating date of the last Monday in May.

The O’Connor Music Studio WILL be open!

 

 

New Book: Later Gator and the Time Travel Tunes

 

An Early Level 1 Piano Book For End-Of-Year Success

InΒ Later Gator and the Time Travel Tunes, a lonely alligator stumbles upon a squeaky duck and suddenly finds himself zipping through time on a wild and hilarious adventure.

From dinosaur stomping grounds to medieval castles, ancient Egyptian pyramids to Viking voyages, your students will tag along with Gator while reinforcing key piano skills:

  • C 5-finger scales
  • Hands-together coordination
  • Staccato and legato articulation
  • Introductory left-hand accompaniments

This early level 1 piano book is designed to keep lessons exciting while targeting the exact skills students need at this crucial stage.

It’s a story-driven approach that turns essential early learning into an irresistible experience β€” exactly what students need when attention spans are pulled in a dozen directions.

As always, O’Connor Music Studio students are provided with all books at no charge as appropriate.Β  Later Gator and the Time Travel Tunes is also available on amazon.

Why Bi-weekly Lessons Don’t Work

Every now and then, I get asked if I offer bi-weekly lessons. Theoretically, it makes sense that if you take a piano lesson every other week, you have half the number of trips into the studio, you have double the amount of time to practice, and you can save some money, right?

WRONG.

Aside from the fact that it is a scheduling nightmare for the teacher and studio, I’d like to outline a few reasons why (in most cases) bi-weekly lessons do not work.

1) **Playful Piano Planning!** 🎹✨
Okay, picture this: Your piano lesson gets zapped by life’s little hiccups – a sneeze fest, a car with an attitude, surprise overtime, the school bus doesn’t show up, or a snow-in. Our studio is all about the makeup magic, but hey, not everyone’s as cool with rescheduling. Miss a beat with last-minute changes and you could be on a piano-less streak for a whole month!

2) **Dodge the Oops-Did-It-Again Dilemma** πŸŽΆπŸ˜…
Usually, MrsO is there to catch those sneaky wrong notes before they move in and get cozy in your practice. Skip a week, and you might find those wrong notes have thrown a two-week house party in your head. Breaking up that party? Twice as tricky!

3) **The Practice Time Warp** β³πŸ”„
Got two weeks until the next lesson? Time to double down on practice, right? But somehow, time turns sneaky, and suddenly it’s a mad dash to remember what you’re even supposed to be playing right before you’re back on the bench. Binge-practicing is like cramming for a test – and trust me, it’s not a chart-topper.

4) **Keep the Piano Momentum Rolling** πŸš€πŸŽΉ
Weekly lessons are like a rhythm – learn, practice, show off, repeat! Cut that down to bi-weekly, and you’re halving your chances to hit those high notes of progress over a year. Who wants to slow-mo their piano prowess?

5) **Stay Tuned In!** πŸ“…πŸŽΌ
When piano lessons are a regular event, they’re like your favorite weekly show – you can’t wait for the next episode. Stretch it out, and the storyline starts to get fuzzy. Keep the tempo up, and stay keyed into your music mission.

6) **No More Calendar Chaos!** πŸ“†πŸŽ‰
Juggling bi-weekly lessons can turn your schedule into a game of musical chairs, where everyone’s scrambling for a seat. Studios might do the time-tango, fitting in other students to fill the gaps, but it’s a dance best avoided if you want to keep the beat.

7) **Plan Like a Piano Prodigy** πŸ“πŸŽΆ
Riding the bi-weekly wave? Get your planner game strong. Stay in sync with MrsO and don’t let any holidays or special days sneak up on you.

Teachers, on their part, turn into maestros of lesson planning, ensuring every note and nuance is clear for the two-week solo ahead. They’ll balance the scales perfectly so you won’t be yawning or yelping in practice frustration.

**And If You’re Still All for Bi-Weekly:** πŸŒŸπŸ‘‡
– Master the art of organization. Sync those calendars with your studio like a pro.
– Treat practice like your favorite habit. Daily doses, no matter the next lesson date.
– Scribble down the wisdom your teacher drops – and drop into practice pronto. OR, check your lesson notes in your Practice Portal.
– Post-lesson practice is your golden hour. What you play today, you slay tomorrow!

So, whether it’s a bi-weekly fiesta or a weekly wonder, keep those keys singing and the fun flinging!

Trunk or Treat!

Pender’s Annual Trunk or Treat is returning bigger and better than ever!

Get ready for some fall fun! Join us for the Pender Fall FestivalΒ  on October 19, from 2-4 pm in the church parking lot.

Here’s what’s in store:

Trunk or Treat – Wear your costumes and collect tons of candy!Β  (Hint – adults can dress up, too)
S’mores Station– Snack on ooey-gooey s’mores!
Karaoke Station – Show off your singing skills with your favorite tunes!
Estimation Station – Test your guessing skills and see how close you get!

Bring your family, friends, and all your fall vibes for an afternoon of fun! You won’t want to miss it!

This will be a lot of fun for everyone.

Christmas Cantata

 

The PUMC Sanctuary Choir (including MrsO!) and Orchestra provided a Christmas Cantata during traditional worship service on December 18 at 9:00.

The music included: Bethlehem Christmas Sanctus Joy Has Dawned Tell Out My Soul (Sopranoβ€”Laura Connors; Baritone-Brian Stevenson) I Saw Three Ships And selections by the Orchestra.

The Cantata was live-streamed and individual pieces will be posted soon..

 

 

 

Pender UMC
12401 Alder Woods Drive
Fairfax, VA US 22033

Piano Maestro New Movie Music!

Piano Mania

 

Shiny, new Piano Maestro version is live!

They’ve listened to your amazing feedback and have addedΒ your most requested songs, squashed tons of bugs and addedΒ iOS 17 compatibility.

4 more amazing songs!

You asked, and they listened and added a sparkling collection of most requested songs in 2023 for your students to enjoy β€œBarbie Girl” from the new β€˜Barbie movie, β€œCircle of Life” from β€˜The Lion King’, β€œHe’s a Pirate” from β€˜Pirates of the Caribbean’ and β€œRainbow Connection” from β€˜The Muppet Movie’.

Available in 3 versions, all new songs can be found in the β€˜Top 2023 Requests’ section in the song library.


It will be fun watching your child improve their piano skills all while having fun using Piano Maestro in lessons each week!

As your child’s teacher (or YOUR teacher!), I’m looking forward to seeing theΒ progress they will make when they start using it at home each day. This guide will help youΒ understand how this app will benefit your child and how to get it set up on your own iPad.

Overview
What is Piano Maestro?

Piano Maestro is the ultimate pianoΒ practice tool that will have studentsΒ quickly playing their favorite classical,Β pop, rock, TV and video game songsΒ and themes. It is available in the AppΒ Store and works on the iPad.

What skills does it improve?
β€’ Note reading
β€’ Sight reading
β€’ Rhythm
β€’ Inner pulse
β€’ Confidence

What makes it so fun?
β€’ Upbeat background tracks
β€’ Stunning graphics
β€’ Instant rewards and feedback
β€’ Satisfaction of playing REAL music

It works with an acoustic piano?

Yes! Your child practices on yourΒ real acoustic or digital piano. PianoΒ Maestro listens from the iPad’s built-inΒ microphone. No wires needed.

I’m already paying for lessons. What value does this add?

Sometimes I wish I could be there withΒ your child to encourage them to keepΒ practicing daily. I’m sure it’s not alwaysΒ easy, as unforeseen challenges will arise.

Since our time each week is just too short,Β this app will give me eyes on the groundΒ and it will keep them practicing longer and improving more quickly.

How will it be used in lessons?

I will spend a few minutes of each lessonΒ helping your child master a couple ofΒ new songs all while having fun! I willΒ also teach them how to use the practiceΒ options at home.

At the end of theΒ lesson, we will choose Home ChallengeΒ assignments within the app that willΒ show up in your account at home. I’ll getΒ updates when progress is made.

Getting Started
Wow, this sounds awesome. Now, how do I get started?

1) Download Piano Maestro on your iPad from the AppStore
2) Create a JoyTunes account with a parent’s email, under which,Β you can have multiple profiles for each member of the family.
3) Create a profile for each family member (that means youΒ too Mom and Dad!) inside the Parent/Teacher zone (top right-hand corner of the main screen)
4) Connect to your teacher, me! AfterΒ creating a profile in the β€œprofiles” tabΒ of the parent/teacher zone, selectΒ the student’s profile and click β€œconnect to teacher.” Once IΒ approve the connection to your child, they will receive full accessΒ to all content for FREE! I will then also begin receiving weeklyΒ progress reports.
5) Start Playing – I will now start assigning you homework,Β meanwhile, get started on Journey Mode.

When you connect to the O’Connor Music Studio, Piano Maestro is free for as long as you study here.